Packer set to earn 70th England cap
Marlie Packer is set to earn her 70th England cap as six Saracens Women are named in the Red Roses squad to face France Women at Sandy Park on Saturday 16 November.
Packer is joined in the matchday 23 by Hannah Botterman, Zoe Harrison, Sarah McKenna, Poppy Cleall and Vicky Fleetwood as England Head Coach Simon Middleton makes one change to the starting XV from last weekend's 20 - 10 win over France.
Worcester Warriors’ Lydia Thompson gets the nod on the wing for Saturday's test.
Middleton said: “We were delighted to secure our first win in France since 2012. The players put a real shift in and stuck to the plan.
“As we expected, last week’s game was incredibly competitive, while at the same time, it was clear to see that both sides hadn’t played competitively for a couple of months.
“However, I expect both teams to have shaken off some of the ring rust this week and the skill execution should be evident in the performances.
“France had the lion’s share of both the possession and field position last week, which we countered with a very good defensive performance.
“This week, we will be looking to address both those balances and with it, show more of our attacking capabilities."
Starters
15 Sarah McKenna (Saracens Women – 26 caps)
14 Lydia Thompson (Worcester Warriors Women – 44 caps)
13 Emily Scarratt (VC) (Loughborough Lightning – 83 caps)
12 Zoe Harrison (Saracens Women – 18 caps)
11 Abby Dow (Wasps FC Ladies – 7 caps)
10 Katy Daley-Mclean (Loughborough Lightning – 108 caps)
9 Leanne Riley (Harlequins Women – 32 caps)
1 Hannah Botterman (Saracens Women – 15 caps)
2 Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning – 22 caps)
3 Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women – 29 caps)
4 Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury Women – 14 caps)
5 Abbie Scott (Harlequins Women – 41 caps)
6 Sarah Beckett (Harlequins Women – 11 caps)
7 Marlie Packer (Saracens Women – 69 caps)
8 Sarah Hunter (C) (Loughborough Lightning – 117 caps)
Replacements
16 Heather Kerr (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks – 20 caps)
17 Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury Women – 8 caps)
18 Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins Women – 11 caps)
19 Poppy Cleall (Saracens Women – 34 caps)
20 Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens Women – 70 caps)
21 Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury Women – 48 caps)
22 Emily Scott (Harlequins Women – 33 caps)
23 Jess Breach (Harlequins Women – 8 caps)
24 Detysha Harper [Non-playing reserve]
Sandy Park, Exeter (KO 1310 GMT, live on Sky Sports Mix and Action)
